Seatbelt usage saves lives and is mandated in many jurisdictions. However, for various reasons, some drivers and passengers fail to buckle up. One reason for this life threatening failure is that the seat belt is inconveniently positioned. Typically, seat belts are retracted to a position in line with the post or door jam to the rear of the front door. It can be difficult for some drivers and passengers (e.g., shorter drivers who require the seat to be more forward, the elderly and others with restricted motion) to reach back or twist around to grasp the seat belt after they are seated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,730, entitled “Seatbelt system” issued to Suzuki, et al., hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a seatbelt system in which part of the seatbelt, the strap that restrains the upper body, is automatically placed in position to restrain the driver. One end of the strap moves along a guide rail generally positioned along the door frame, and the other end is attached to a fixed location between the driver and the passenger. To allow the driver it enter and exit the car, the strap moves forward on the guide rail. When the driver is seated and ready to drive the car, the strap moves rearward on the guide rail to position the strap across the driver's torso. However, the strap for the driver's waist must still be manually grasped and buckled. Thus, the problem of reaching back or twisting is not fully addressed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,448, entitled “Seat belt holder” issued to Apfel, hereby incorporated by reference, disclosed a device for holding the seat belt at a location on the seat such that the belt is still flexible enough to not interfere with entering or exiting the car. Thus, the belt is releasably held more forward than the seatbelt would otherwise be, making the belt less difficult to grasp. However, the belt must be placed in the holder after each use for the holder to be effective. Such a requirement is unlikely to be met each time and is, therefore, undesirable.